Numbers

How numbers are expressed is purely style. While there are some conventions, APA, MLA, Chicago, and other style manuals vary widely on whether to use words or figures.

For LFC and LESC, the general rule rarely changes; the exceptions tend to evolve to reflect habits that develop outside the general rule.

The General Rule

• Use words for zero to nine (numbers with one digit)

  • • zero

    • one

    • nine

• Use figures for 10-9,999, with the comma for numbers in the thousands (numbers with two to four digits)

  • • 16

    • 25

    • 1,000

    • 5,667

• Use words and numbers for round numbers of 10 thousand and above (five or more digits)

  • • 10 thousand

    • 2 million

    • 999 million55 billion

The general rule reflects the legislative habit of citing budget numbers “in thousands,” although it’s been modified because readers struggle to catch single digits, as in 1 thousand.

Other Broad Rules

• • • Rounding off numbers is acceptable and encouraged to help the reader, depending on the level of precision necessary. How to “round off” the number is nuanced, however; while rounding 9,183,222 to 9.183 million makes some sense, rounding 19,183 to 19.183 thousand is silly. So,

      • For numbers from 10 thousand to 999 thousand, one figure to the right of the decimal is acceptable. The amount 10,795 could be written as 11 thousand or 10.8 thousand. If you need greater precisions, use all the figures.

      • Up to three figures beyond the decimal are allowed for figures over 1 million. 9,183,222 could be 9 million, 9.2 million, 9.18 million, 9.183. If you need greater precision, use all the figures.

    • Always use a digit in front of the decimal point, even if it’s a zero. It’s 0.4 not just .4 because it’s easy for the reader to miss the decimal point.

    • Repeat the full dollar amount when citing a range. Unless you mean the range is $1 to $2 million, use million both times.

    • It’s 5 cents, NOT $0.05. It’s $1, NOT $1.00.

    • Do not use trailing zeros, the zeros to the right of the decimal point that have no value. It’s 4.5 percent, not 4.50 percent.

    • Spell out any number, other than a calendar year, if used at the start of a sentence.

The Exceptions

The style manual lists 23 instances where you should ALWAYS use figures. Most of these are rarely used in legislative documents -- military units – or are obvious – addresses and dates. While you should read the whole list, the most important are

• Bill numbers

  • • • • House Bill 22

        • Senate Bill 9

    • Corrections custody levels and teacher certification levels

      • • Level 3 inmate

        • A teacher with a level 2A license

    • Ages – no matter if it’s a person, place, or thing. But use the general rule for a count of days, weeks, months, years, etc.

      • • 3-year-old program

        • prekindergarten serves 3- and 4-year-olds

        • FIT is for children from birth through age 5

        • The law will be phased in over five years.

        • The effective date is in 11 months.

    • Congressional, legislative, and judicial districts

      • • 2^nd congressional district

        • House district 34

        • 2^nd Judicial District

    • Dimensions, distances, volumes, and temperatures (things you can physically measure)

      • • 3 feet

        • 4 miles

        • 20 gallons

        • 33 degrees

    • FTE

      • • 3.5 FTE

    • Fiscal and calendar years

      • • FY20

        • 2020 fiscal year

        • 2010 federal fiscal year

        • 2020

    • Percentages

      • • 0.9 percent, 9 percent

Don't forget some terms associated with numbers are not interchangeable.

• Use fewer, not less, for items you can count. Save less for bulk or quality.

  • • fewer students

    • less money

    • less capable

• Use number for things that can be counted and amount for things that are hard to count.

  • • The number of students increased.

    • The amount of revenue dropped.

Finally, always spell out sessions of the Legislature: Fifty-Fourth Legislature